What’s the Deal with Angels? (Part 1)
Angels are spiritual beings created by God. They appear throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. As spiritual beings, they do not have physical bodies, although they can appear as physical when they wish. They have several specific functions for which they are designed: worship, bearing messages, ministering to God’s people, fighting and defending, etc. Angels are interested in humanity and in God’s plan of salvation (1 Pet. 1:12), and they might even have some kind of oversight over certain areas of the world and human society (Deut. 32:8 LXX; Dan. 10:12-21; Psalm 82). While modern Christians have tended to think of God’s sovereign rule as being directly exercised by the divine will alone, the Bible occasionally paints a picture of God administering his sovereignty through an unseen world of spiritual powers, created to interact with him and perform his will (Job 1:6-12; 1 Kings 22:19-23; Gal. 3:19). These beings are “higher” than us in one sense; but in another, more important sense, we hold a higher place in God’s favor (Ps. 8:5): humanity, not angels (as far as we know), are made “in the image of God,” and it is fallen humans who are ultimately saved, not fallen angels.
Attributes of Angels: In the Bible, they are depicted as powerful, glorious (sometimes terrifyingly so), intelligent, able to feel emotions (such as joy), having the power of free will, spiritual (non-corporeal), and immortal.
Names: There are only two named angels in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael (a third, Lucifer, is possible, but this is debatable—see Isaiah 14:12). There may be some further references to fallen angels, like Beelzebub or Abaddon, but it is unclear if these are titles or names. Expanding to the biblical apocrypha, we see some other personal angelic names from the Hebrew tradition, like Raphael and Uriel.
Terms for Angels’ Ranks, Types, or Powers – In the Bible, angels go by several different terms:
- The general term is Angel (which simply means “Messenger”) – in Greek, angelos; in Hebrew, malach. This is usually just a generalized term; however, there is an important exception: one character in the early Old Testament consistently appears by the name of “The Angel (Messenger) of the Lord.” This character is often shown to be divine, unlike ordinary angels—he accepts worship and bears God’s own name, so this “Angel” is taken to be a pre-Incarnation appearance of the Lord Jesus, who is the true Messenger of God.
- Seraphim - A seraph is an angel associated with the eternal worship around the throne of God – Isaiah 6 describes them as having six wings (see also Rev. 4:8).
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Cherubim – A cherub is an angel
associated with the presence of God. God is often depicted as being enthroned
between the cherubim, and sometimes they are described as flying
throne-bearers. They are almost always depicted with wings. In one of Ezekiel’s
visions, they are said to have four faces, corresponding to angelic, human, and
animal creation (Ezek. 10:14-15)—such cherubim are called “living creatures,” a
term that gets picked up in the visions of Revelation. These “living creatures”
are said to have eyes all over their bodies. The angels who guard the Garden of
Eden are cherubim (Gen. 3:24), as are the angels depicted over the Ark of the
Covenant in the Temple (Ex. 25:20).
- Archangels – This is a term that simply means “chief angel” or “leader of angels.” It is used twice in the Bible: when Paul references “the voice of the archangel” as accompanying the final trumpet at Christ’s return (1 Thess. 4:16); and in reference to Michael (Jude 9).
- Princes – Daniel uses this term for angels that appear to exercise some kind of authority over (or in behalf of) human kingdoms; it is implied that some are good (like Michael, Israel’s “prince”) and that at least some, if not most, are evil (see Dan. 10).
- Hosts of heaven – this latter name can be used in either a good sense—as the angelic armies of God (one of God’s titles in the Old Testament is YHWH Sabaoth, “Lord of hosts”)—or in a bad sense, as angelic powers who are being worshiped as false gods (for example, see 2 Kings 21:3-5). Sometimes when this phrase is used, it implies that angelic beings are assigned to (or are represented by) the stars of the sky.
- Possible further words for angelic ranks or types: Rulers, Dominions, Powers, Thrones, Authorities, Principalities – These names appear in the New Testament, usually used together in list form to indicate spiritual powers which have set themselves up against God (see Eph. 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:22).
- Other descriptive or poetic names for angels: sons of God (Job 1:6; 38:7), watchers (Dan. 4:13, 17), holy ones, and mighty ones.
With so many clues strung out here and there throughout Scripture, both Jews and Christians throughout the ages have wanted to know more, and some have devised complex hierarchies and taxonomies of various kinds of angels. It’s important to note, however, that such systems are mostly sheer speculation. All we really know from Scripture is that there are many kinds and functions of angels, and despite all their power and beauty, they are only servants of God like us.
How should Christians relate to angels?
1.) Thank God for them – They are our fellow servants, and we are grateful for the many ways they serve the Lord.
2.) Don’t worship them – This is clear in Scripture; only God may be worshiped. Although angels’ glory and power might evoke awe and wonder, they themselves warn us that they are not to be worshiped (Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9).
3.) Praise the Lord! – In the Bible, angels are depicted as responding to Christians’ worship of God, and joining in alongside them (Rev. 5:8-12; 7:9-12; Heb. 12:22-23).
4.) Don’t
get too caught up in speculating about them (Col. 2:18; 1 Tim. 4:1, 4:7) – The
Bible doesn’t tell us everything we might want to know about them, but it tells
us everything we need to know, and in this case it may not be helpful to press
further than that (see 2 Pet. 2:10-11; Jude 8-10).